Door safety device



June 22, 1937.

H. A. GERKEN DOOR SAFETY DEVICE Filed March 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR Hen/7 f7. 6er/r en ATTORN EYS June 22, 1937.

H. A. GERKEN DOOR SAFETY DEVICE Filed March 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORN EYS Patented June 22, 1937W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOORSAFETY DEVICE Application March 23, 1936, Serial No. 70,239

9 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in door safety devices and itsobject is to provide a simple and effective device for sectional doorswhich in their operation tilt out of vertical positions, which will holdthe door sections from running down accidentally in case of the failureof their hoisting mechanism. Another object is to provide a brakingdevice which will act quickly and effectively and which has a minimumnumber of parts compactly arranged.

These and other objects of the invention will appear in the followingspecification in which I will describe the invention, the novel featuresof which will be pointed out in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of alink-supported, sectional door, an example of the type of door to whichthis invention is applicable.

k Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the lower part of Fig.` 1, showinga safety device which embodies my invention. The section in this ligureis taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of some of the parts shown in Fig. 2,the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sectional elevations of the safety device shown inFig. 2, with its parts shown in different relative positions in thedifferent figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, I will describe briefly the door structureshown therein. It comprises an upper section II), pivotally supported bylinks I I, soA that it may swing from the vertical closed position inwhich it is shown in full lines to a full open position indicated bydotted lines at IOA. In opening the door, the lower section I2, firstrises vertically from` the position in which it is shown in full linesin Fig. 1 until it overlies the upper section, and then the two sectionsswing together, supported by the links II, until they are in a full openposition when the lower section will be in that indicated by the dottedlines at I2A. This movement is effected by hoisting chains I3, which areconnected with the'lower corner of the lower door section.

DuringY all of the movements of the door sections, the lower edge of thelower section is guided to move vertically by rollers I4, which run ontracks I5.

20 is a bracket shown in the other figures, rigidly affixed to the lowercorner of the lower door section. This supports one of the rollers I4,and the parts of the safety device which will now be described. It is tobe understood that these parts are duplicated at the other lower cornerof the lower door section. 2I is a bushing supported in the bracket. Theroller I4 is freely rotatable on this bushing. 22 is a chain arm pivotedon the bushing 2|. The hoisting chain I3 is connected to it by a shackle23 and links 24. The movement of the chain arm relative to the bracketis limited in one direction by a stop lug 25 on the chain arm and a stoplug 26 on the bracket 20. A spring 21 connected to the chain arm at 2Sand to the bracket at 29, tends to move these stop lugs apart.

30 is a vertical safety rail permanently aixed to the building structurewhich supports the door. Inside of this rail is a floating member, inthe particular case shown, a' roller 3|, on an arm 32, pivotallysupported on the bushing 2I. On the other side of the rail 30 is alocking cam 33. This is eccentrically mounted on the bushing 2 I. Itssurface adjacent to' the rail is roughened and it is preferablyhardened. 34 is an arm which extends outwardly from the cam member. Itsend is bifurcated and embraces a pin 35 which connects links 24 with thechain arm 22.

It may be seen from Figs. 4 and 1 that the chain arm extends towardguide rail I5, to bring the hoisting chain as close to this rail aspossible and well outside the center of gravity of the door sections intheir vertical positions. As this spaces the chain from the lowerpivoted end of link II, it helps to break in the door sections, that is,initiate their inward swing in opening.

In Fig. 4, the tension on the hoisting chain I3 is holding the stop lug25 against lug 26, thereby supporting the weight of the door, andthrough arm 34, is holding the locking cam 33 out of contact with thesafety rail 30. These are the positions of the parts during the usualoperation of the door.

If the hoisting chain breaks, or if for any other reason its tension islost, the spring 21 will rotate the chain arm in a clockwise directionto bring the locking cam 33 into engagement with the safety rail 30.Further downward movement of the door will tighten this engagement ofthe cam 33 and the rail will be gripped between it and the floatingmember 3l.

When the lower door section tilts over toward a horizontal position inopening, the chain arm 22 and the locking cam arm 34 will move in acounterclockwise direction toward the positions shown in Fig. 6. Duringthis tilting movement the roller 3I is guided by the safety rail 30 sothat it is always in effective operative position. When in an emergencythe lifting chain is slackened, the spring 21 will propel the camthrough the angle A, Fig. 6, if the door is in wide open position orthrough a lesser angle in other tilted positions and the safety railwill be gripped between the cam and the roller. In the vertical positionof the door the cam will move through the angle B shown in Fig. 5 whenthe device is in emergency operation.

Many changes and structural modifications invention and I intend nolimitations other than those imposed by the appended claims.

What I claim. is:

l. A door section, a guide roller pivoted to the lower edge thereof, avertical guide for the roller, means for swinging the door section awayfrom and toward said guide, a chain arm movably supported on the guideroller pivot, a hoisting chain connected with said arm at a point spacedfrom said pivot toward the guide rail, cooperating stop lugs on thechain arm and on the door section, a locking cam held in inoperativeposition by the chain arm, and means acting against the tension on thechain tending to move the chain arm relative to the door section toseparate the stop lugs and actuate the locking cam.

2. A door section, a guide roller pivoted to the lower edge thereof, avertical guide for the roller, means for swinging the door section awayfrom and toward said guide, a chain arm movably supported on the guideroller pivot and eX- tending toward the guide, a hoisting chainconnected with said arm at a point spaced from said pivot toward theguide rail, cooperating stop lugs on the chain arm and on the doorsection, a locking cam held in inoperative position by the chain arm,and means acting against the tension on the chain tending to move thechain arm relative to the door section to separate the stop lugs; andactuate the locking cam.

3. A door section, a guide roller pivoted to the lower edge thereof, avertical guide for the roller, means for swinging the door section awayfrom and toward said guide, a chain arm movrably supported on the guideroller pivot and extending toward. the guide, a hoisting chain connectedwith said arm at a point spaced from said pivot toward the guide rail,cooperating stop lugs on the chain arm and on the door section, a safetyrail, a locking cam arranged to engage the safety rail, held ininoperative position by the chain arm, and means acting against thetension on the chain tending to move the chain arm relative to the doorsection to separate the stop lugs and move the locking cam intoengagement with the safety rail.

4. A door section, a guide roller pivoted toy the lower edge thereof, avertical guide for the roller, means for swinging the door section awayfrom and toward said guide, a chain arm movably supported on the guideroller pivot and extending toward the guide, a hoisting chain connectedwith said arm at a point spaced from said pivot toward the guide rail,cooperating stop lugs on the chain arm and on the door section, a safetyrail, a locking cam on one side of the safety rail arranged to engagesaid rail, held in inoperative position by the chain arm, a floatingmember on the other side of the safety rail, an arm pivoted to the guideroller pivot and connected to said member, and means acting against thetension on the chain tending to move the chain arm relative to the doorsection to separate the stop lugs and move the locking cam intoengagement with the safety rail.

5. A door section, a pivot on the lower edge thereof, a roller supportedon said pivot, a vertical guide for the roller, means for swinging thedoor section away from and toward said guide, a chain arm movablysupported on the guide roller pivot and extending toward the guide, ahoisting chain connected with said arm at a point spaced from said pivottoward the guide rail, cooperating stop lugs on the chain arm and on thedoor section, a safety rail, a locking cam eccentrically mounted on theguide roller pivot on one side of the safety rail, a floating member onthe other side of the safety rail adjacent the locking cam, an armpivoted to the guide roller pivot and connected to said member, andmeans acting against the tension on the chain tending to move the chainarm relative to the door section to separate the stop lugs and move thelocking cam into engagement with the safety rail.

6. A door section, a pivot on the lower edge thereof, a roller supportedon said pivot, a vertical guide for the roller, means for swinging thedoor section away from and toward said guide, a chain arm movablysupported on the `guide roller pivot and extending toward the guide, ahoisting chain connected with said arm Vat a point spaced from saidpivot toward the guide rail, cooperating stop lugs on the chain arm andon the door section, a safety rail, a locking cam eccentrically mountedon the guide roller pivot on oneside of the safety rail, a floatingmember on the other side of the safety rail adjacent the locking cam, anarml pivoted to the guide roller pivot and connected to said member, anda spring acting between the chain arm and the door section against thetension on the chain tending to move the chain arm relative to the doorsection to separate the stop lugs and move the locking cam intoengagement with the safety rail.

7. A door section, a guide roller pivoted to the lower edge thereof, avertical guide for the roller, means for swinging the door section awayfrom and toward said guide, a chain arm pivotally supported on the guideroller pivot and extending transversely therefrom, a pin near one end ofsaid lchain arm at a point spaced from said guide roller pivot near` theguide rail, a spring connected with the chain arm near its other endandwith the door section, a locking cam eccentrically mounted on theguide roller pivot, and an arm extending from said cam into operativeengagement with the pin on the chain arm. Y Y

8. A door section, a guide roller pivoted to the lower edge thereof, avertical guide for the roller, means for swinging the door section awayfrom and toward said guide, a chain arm. pivotally supported on theguide roller pivot and extending transversely therefrom, a locking cameccentrically mounted on the guide roller pivot, an arm extending fromsaid cam into operative engagement with the chain arm, a floating memberopposite the locking cam, and an arm pivotally supported on the guideroller pivot between the chain arm and the locking cam and connectedvwith said floating member.

9. A door section, a guide roller pivoted to the lower edge thereof, avertical guide for the roller, means for swinging the door section awayfrom and toward said guide, a chain arm' movably supported on the guideroller pivot, a hoisting chain connected with said arm, cooperating stoplugs on the chain arm and on the door section, a locking cam held ininoperative position by the chain arm, means acting against the tensionon the chain tending to move the chain arm relative to the door sectiontorseparate the stop lugs and actuate the locking cam., and meanscoacting with the cam to lock the door when tension n the chain isremoved.

HENRY A. GERKEN.

